Final Fantasy 10: The Story
by Smartpoetic
Summary: This is the full story of FFX told by Tidus. Tidus, the blitzball star of the Zanarkand Abes, is propelled 1,000 years into the future by this pheonomina called "Sin." Tidus joins up on a quest to defeat Sin, but he wonders if he will see home again.
1. Chapter I: Zanarkand

Part I: The Beginning

Chapter I: Zanarkand 

I sat among my friends, around a campfire. I got up, put my hand on her shoulder, and slowly walked up a small incline. The sun was setting and it unleashed a golden touch among the sky and the ruins of a city, one thousand years gone.

We were telling stories from our past, trying to keep the horribleness of the future from reaching us. But we all knew that it would eventually get us.

It is now my turn to tell the story. To tell you how I, Tidus, ended up here, about to face the unexplainable.

Listen to my story. This may be our last chance.

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Zanarkand was an enormous city that never sleeped. The lights shined day and night, never going out. Heck, sometimes I wondered how you could even see the stars at night.

On this particular night, I was getting ready for the big blitzball game of the season. Blitzball, the greatest underwater game ever created. The air depriving, ball hogging, body banging action of blitzball. Fans turned out every night to cheer us—the Zanarkand Abes—on. Not trying to boast, but I was the best one on the team.

I walked outside my front door apartment, only to find a horde of fans there to greet me.

"Can I have your autograph?" A cute brunette said, and then shoving the blitzball into my hands. "Of course!" I said. Hey, I'm not gonna deny a girl my signature.

"Good luck tonight, Tidus!" Another cute girl said, and then I signed hers, too.

"Nothing to worry about!" I assured her. "Oh, if I score a goal . . . I'll do this," I held up two fingers on both of my hands, shaping an "L".

"That means it was for you, okay?" Both of the girls giggled. "What seat," I asked.

"East block, in the front row! Fifth from the right!" They both announced, ecstatic that I would actually acknowledge them during the game.

"Got it!" I said. Man, I never seen two girls blush like that before.

I tried to move on, but three little kids ambushed me.

"Can you sign this?" A kid with a handkerchief asked. "No prob!" I said, and then I signed his blitzball. Another kid with a yellow toboggan held up his ball and asked, "Please?"

"Alrighty!" I said and I then signed his too.

"Me too!" Another little kid with dreadlocks screamed. "Take it easy!" I said, and then signed his ball.

After getting tired of all the fans begging for autographs I said, "Well, gotta go! Cheer for me!" Then I gave them a wink.

" . . .Two, three," the kid with the handkerchief counted.

"Teach us how to blitz!" The three hoodlums ordered in unison.

"Hey, I got a game to play!" I said.

"Then teach us after!" The kid with the yellow toboggan begged.

"Maybe tonight . . . um . . . well . . ." I said reluctantly.

"You can't tonight," said a kid. He was wearing a purple hood over his face with a golden design on his back. I was sure I had seen him from somewhere before.

"I mean . . . tomorrow," I said. I was happy that I didn't have to waste my time that night teaching three hyper kids to do plays and kicks, which would probably break their necks.

"Promise?" Asked the kid with dreadlocks.

"Promise!" I lied. I then escaped from the annoying crowd and down the street I ran.

Zanarkand's roads were laid out like intersections through the city. The roads had lights built into them, and the buildings surrounding the roads spewed water from their side, like a waterfall. I quickly ran down the road and suddenly I stopped for a moment. On one of the buildings was a picture of my old man, Jecht; he was the greatest blitzball player in all of Zanarkand, but he had disappeared ten years ago. Since then, they held the "Jecht Memorial Cup Tournament" to honor him. This was gonna be a huge game.

"Hmph." I grunted, and then ran on down the long road, towards the blitzball stadium. I never really liked my old man anyways . . .

"Make way, make way!" I shouted through the sea of fans. It seemed like all of Zanarkand turned out just to see me. "Coming through," I said, pushing through the mobs of people. Fans were everywhere.

"Sorry!" I apologized when I _accidentally _knocked a fan down. He got back up and started cheering again.

"Hey! I'm gonna be late . . . Hey, let go of me!" Someone had grabbed my arm and tried to get me to sign another autograph. I ran quickly by the two statues of blitzball players and into the translucent wall that supposedly keep the fans from getting into the dressing rooms and the playing field. I waved to them-- really taunting them--and walked away from my admirers.


	2. Chapter II: The Jecht Memorial Cup Tourn...

Part I: The Past

Chapter II: The Jecht Memorial Cup Tournament 

I sat there, on the side of the sphere pool, motionless. My heart was beating rapidly. The massive crowd cheered as the sphere pool filled with water. The sphere pool, our playing field, gave off a bright, white flash. I got up, holding a blitzball, and braced myself from it. I swiftly dove into the water.

I was ready to blitz!

In blitzball, players play the game, completely submerged underwater. Some think we can breath underwater, like a fish, but that is just a tale. Blitzball players have the unique ability to hold their breath for an extended period of time. There are two goals on each opposite side of the sphere pool. Both teams position themselves in the very center of the pool and the team leaders try to grab the ball during the _blitzoff_, or when the ball is launched into the water. The main point of the game is to score as many goals on the opposite side before the game ends.

The buzzer sounded. I tore out in the sphere pool and immediately grabbed the blitzball. Halfway down the field I was seized by one of the Zanarkand Duggles, the opposing team. He had me down in a death lock, trying to get control of the ball, but with enormous strength, I knocked him off of me, and out of the sphere pool for that matter! He flew into the stands of the cheering crowd, knocking several of them down.

I didn't realize, at that very moment, Zanarkand was being attacked.

Our team was creaming the Zanarkand Duggles. In just two minutes, the Abes had scored three goals, while the other team was struggling just to keep up with us! I grabbed the ball after knocking the player in the stomach, and swam towards the surface of the sphere pool. I jumped into the air, throwing myself upside down, preparing to kick the ball back into the water.

I then saw it.

A large water bubble, ten times larger than the stadium, was absorbing Zanarkand. My eyes popped open in surprise-- time seemed to in slow motion . . . I felt several blasts rush past me as I was falling. I could hear the sirens in the city going off, and the people screaming in hysteria. The stadium was destroyed before I hit the water.

I fell and clutched on to a ledge with my left hand. I tried to grab onto the ledge with my other hand, but there was an explosion and the power of it caused me to loose grip. I fell to, what I thought would be, my death.

When I awoke, I found myself at the entrance of the stadium. Men, women, and children were running frantically away. Water drenched the ground and the stadium was now just rubble.

I stood up and shook off the massive amount of pain that seemed to assault my body. _What happened? _I thought to myself. _Why?_

At that moment, I saw Auron calmly standing nearby a destroyed statue. He was never fearful of anything it seemed like.

"Auron!" I said astonished, "What are you doing here!"

"I was waiting for you," he answered in a cool tone.

"What are you talking about?" I demanded. He turned away and vanished into the panicking crowd.

I ran down the road, searching for Auron. He had disappeared without a trace. While people were screaming and running for their lives, I ran the opposite way they came from.

I loped a little further down the street, stumbling from exhaustion. I stopped for a minute, in order to catch my breath.

The screaming had stopped. People were like statues.

The whole world was frozen in time . . .

"It begins . . . Do not cry."

I swayed around . . . there stood the kid in the hood from before. I made a move toward him, but suddenly, a flash blinded me and the screams returned.

"What the . . .?" I said confused.

I saw Auron waiting for me. I ran to him, almost tripping over my own feet. "Hey! Wait!" I said, breathing hard, "Hey, not this way!"

"Look," Auron said calmly.

I saw the great ball of water. It was like a vacuum-- sucking the buildings and streets up. I just about fell backwards from fear . . .

"We called it 'Sin'," he said.

"'Sin?'" I asked. I looked back at it once more.

_Oh my God . . . _I said, but no words came from my mouth.

Shell like objects--without warning-- shot from the ball of water like missiles and pierced the ground in front of us. I rapidly dodged out of the way of the line of fire. The shells hatched and the ugliest birds I have ever seen snapped at us. I tried to frighten them away by jumping at them and swinging my arms wildly, but they snapped back at me.

Auron handed me a burgundy color sword and said, "Take it."

I held it in my hand, but it was so heavy that I struggled to stand up.

"A gift from Jecht," he said.

"My old man?" I asked, surprised. I attempted to hold it in my hands again . . . but the weight pulled me back down to the ground.

"I hope you know how to use it," he said.

I nodded my head, took a deep breath, and with all the strength I could gather, I held the sword behind my back with my right hand, knees bent.


	3. Chapter III: This is Your Story

Chapter III: "This is Your Story" 

More shells shot at us like bullets. Four pierced the ground directly in front of us and then behind us. The bird-like creatures sprouted from within the shells and snapped at us again.

"Don't bother going after all of them," Auron advised, "Cut the ones that matter, and run!"

I took out my sword and sliced the two that was in my way. They died in one hit and then some weird kind of light floated out from their bodies. _What is that?_ I thought to myself.

We ran down the street again. A large pillar jettisoned from Sin, stabbing itself into the ground before us. It had large tentacles erupting from the top of it with balls of light at the very tips and four more of the bird-like creatures stood by it.

"Get out of my town!" I screamed at it and I then lunged forward at it. I did a flip and with immense concentration I sliced some tentacles off the pillar, killing the ugly birds at the same time! In retaliation, the monster gave off this black light. I screamed in pain and I fell suddenly to my knees. Auron threw me something and said, "Drink it." I took the cork off the top of the vial and shot the liquid into my mouth. "Ew!" I said. It tasted like chalk, but afterwards a refreshing coolness came over my body. I felt all my wounds magically heal in an instant . . . I got off my knees and picked up my sword once again.

The monster swiftly attacked Auron with one of its tentacles.

"Some can't wait do die!" Auron said. He soared into the air, and with sudden power, he struck his sword into the ground. Fire erupted from it, followed by a sudden blast. The monster was instantly engulfed in the flames! All the tentacles disappeared from the monster and the floating light balls emerged from its body, signaling our victory.

We ran past the building with my old man's picture on it. It was blinking, probably because of the lack of electricity. "What are you laughing at old man?" I said to the picture, as if it was human, "Auron! Let's get out of here!"

'We're expected," he said.

"Huh?" I said bewildered.

Auron was the type of guy who never really explained anything to anyone. He ran along again, in the oncoming direction of Sin! "Gimme a break, man!" I said angrily and trailed behind him.

Thousands of the shells shot out from Sin. It pierced the ground like arrows before us. I turned around, preparing to run back from where I came from, but more shells shot through the air, blocking my path. We were surrounded . . .

Well, when you can't run, I guess you gotta fight!

Auron and I were fighting an endless battle. One after another we killed the stupid monsters, but more kept on coming back.

"Hmph," Auron grunted, "This could be bad." He looked towards a huge tanker that was halfway on the road.

"That!" he said, "Knock it down!"

"What!?" I shout in surprise. He must be insane . . .

"Trust me. You'll see."

We took turns hitting the tanker. I thought it was a pretty stupid idea really—how would knocking down a tanker destroy all these birds?

It took more than eight hits with our weapons for the support cable to break on it. Half of the tanker fell into the water, discharging. The explosion caused the building with my old man's picture on it to collapse.

"Whoa!" I yelled. The building collapsed on the road that I was standing on! I ducked out of its way, keeping myself from being crushed in its path. Hey, at least it exterminated all the birds.

Sin was getting closer to us every moment. It was ripping the road up and absorbing it like a plant would absorb water.

"Go," Auron said quietly. I nodded my head and sprinted forward. The road was collapsing right from under our feet. I leaped on to the ledge of next road, just barely grasping on to the edge. This road was being consumed by Sin!

"Auron!" I shout, trying to pull myself up, "Auron!"

He just stood there, looking at me. He then turned his head to Sin and said, "You are sure?"

He was talking to it!

I struggled to get up, nearly loosing my grip. He turned back around, grabbing me by my clothing. My legs were up in the air; Sin was preparing to suck me in.

"This is it," Auron said, still gripping my clothing. "This is your story . . . It all begins here." He was sucked into Sin, like liquid through a straw. I could feel my body almost being ripped apart, as I was consumed by it as well. The last thing I remember was screaming for my life. All of a sudden, everything turned a bright white.


	4. Chapter IV: The Underwater Quarrel

Part I: The Beginning

Chapter IV: The Underwater Quarrel 

"Hey!" A familiar voice called through the light, "Hey!"

"My . . . old man?" I said dazed. I was suspended high above Zanarkand. I looked around; the city, the stadium, and everything else, was still there. I twisted around and saw a great symbol on fire . . . I had no clue what it meant . . .

I looked down . . . and I saw me . . .

It was me from when I was a kid.

I floated down towards the figure and gazed at him for a while . . .

I thought about a lot of things . . . like where I was, what I'd got myself into. I started to feel light-headed, and then, sleepy. I think I had a dream. A dream of being alone. I wanted someone--anyone, beside me so I didn't have to feel alone anymore.

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I awoke out in the middle of sea, on some ruins. The water was a murky brown and the sky was gloomy and black. Some seagulls flew high in the sky; they seemed to be attacking a tower nearby. "Anybody there? . . . Auron!" I shouted through the gloom, "Hey!"

My voice echoed far off into the ruins, but somehow I knew that no one would answer me back . . .

I climbed off the rock and jumped into the brown water. It was bitter cold and after ten minutes of being in the water, I couldn't feel my fingers anymore.

I swam around in the water for at least an hour. Columns and reminisces of staircases floated on top of the dirty water. Or maybe this place was built on top of the water?

I climbed out of the cold water and onto the staircase. There seemed to be some kind of bridge running from the broken staircase to the damaged structure. After thawing out for a minute or so, I got up and begun walking along the makeshift path.

Halfway to the tower, I found an old chest. It was corroded shut, but with some effort, I managed to pull it open. It had four vials of the chalk-flavored remedy. "These potions will be of some use," I said out loud to myself. I smiled, and stuck them into my pocket.

I walked on, looking at the water as I went. There was a moldy statue down in the water, and several submerged doorways.

I saw suds come to the surface of the water and disappear. I felt a tremor under my feet. The bridge suddenly buckled from under me. I fell into the water with such force that I went several feet under the water before I was able to re-emerge for a breath.

I skimmed the surface for a while, looking for another way back on the bridge. I saw more bubbles materialize from under the water. Something was lurking down there.

Like a dolphin, a jade green fish surfaced from the water and went back under again. I took a deep breath; pulled out the sword my old man left me, and followed the monster under the water. It had disappeared from my view, but I had a bad feeling that it would show up again. And my bad feelings are always right.

I looked quickly around the ruins. The water was extremely grimy and hard to see through, but I could sense that the monster was nearby.

Out of the blue—or the brown—the green fish-like monster returned . . . with two more of his buddies.

Sword fighting underwater is much different than fighting on dry land. Keeping myself balanced is one problem; with the weight of the sword you definitely don't float.

The green monsters rushed through the cold water like bullets, all three slicing me with their razor-like fins. I had several gashes from the attack, but nothing too serious. I kicked my legs hard and took my revenge out on them. I struck one of them, killing it instantly. The strange orbs of light emitted from the dying monster. The other two unleashed their anger on me by forcefully hitting me again with their fins. The cuts were much deeper this time.

I quickly unzipped one of my pockets and pulled out a vial of potion. I undid the cork on the top of the vial and shot the potion hastily into my mouth trying to keep it from dissolving in the water. Instantly, I felt all my wounds mend again.

I swam through the grimy water, and with unseen power, sliced the fish and killed it with one hit. The balls of light emitted from it. The last fish cut me again with its sharp fin. _Only a scratch! _I told myself.

Yeah, it was only a scratch compared to what happened next.

Without warning, a huge underwater monster swam out from behind one of the underwater columns. It had an enormous rib cage protruding out of its body and a mouth that could suck up _one thousand fish _in a split second . . . It speed through the water—like it was air—and chomped into the monster that I was going to finish off with my sword. Blood spewed through the water turning it from brown . . . to red. It saw me and gave chase.

"Whoa!" I shouted, my voice muffled by the water. I took off, like a rabbit, and swam as fast as I could to the surface. I hastily looked around above the water for somewhere to run. I saw an underwater opening into the bottom of the temple structure. I took a deep breath and dove back underwater, with the monster not far behind.

I swam as fast as my tired legs could kick, attempting to get into the dark tunnel. Like a vacuum, the aquatic creature begun to suck me into its disgusting body.

I swam harder, trying to get away from its mouth.

The current had a hold on me. I was struggling just to keep from barreling into the vortex between its lips. My legs were aching from fatigue and pain, but somehow, I was ahead of its mouth. Suddenly, a huge gust came from the monster's mouth; I was thrown against a wall inside the cavern. The ceiling collapsed, walling out the gigantic fish, and walling me in for good.


End file.
